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Westside community rallies around single mother

Posted at 11:52 PM, Dec 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-12 10:56:02-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich - The westside of Grand Rapids is coming together to help a local mother who could really use some help.

Last week, Angela Johnson's parked car was totaled after someone ran into it on Leonard St. and kept driving.

“I honestly wished they would have just stopped.”

The single mother of three kids said she was shopping at the Bible for Mission Thrift store when she heard a loud boom. Johnson was understandably heartbroken when when bystanders were only able to get a partial plate from the truck they say ran into her car.

"Especially right now, I mean three kids, I'm working full-time right now, but hours are being cut due to people in our nursing home. It’s rough.”

She turned to the popular We Are Westsiders Facebook page, just looking to vent, but found so much more.

“I wasn’t asking for help, but people just kept coming out of the woodwork.”

People like Jessica Cleveland who knows what Johnson is going through.

“I've been in her position before. I'm a single mom. I’ve been to the point where we had to start over from nothing, literally.”

Cleveland  has joined the handful of others offering to give Angela and her kids rides to school and work, even offering cars and mechanic services.

She’s now started a donation drive to collect presents for Angela’s kids, including clothes, video games, bedding, and even a little something for Angela too.

She said, "To give her some sort of moral boost, because it doesn’t feel good during the holidays to have to go through something like that.”

Both women say though it's a tough spot to be in, they're proud of their community.

"My heart is just so filled with joy.  I’ve been a caregiver for 18 years and to be on the other end, the receiving end, you know where people are caring for me to help me out, makes a world of difference " said Johnson.

If you'd like to donate, you can drop off items and Maggie's Kitchen on Bridge St. in Grand Rapids.